環保人士看似是要過苦行僧式的生活，從事藝術者則似困在象牙塔中，兩者似乎均與玩樂無緣。但近日由浸會大學視覺藝術系副教授梁美萍及六個藝術團體組成的社區藝術計劃「土炮遊樂場」，便一洗這種陳腐觀念，先在土瓜灣的大街小巷中搜索回收有用物資，再邀請家長、小童、途人集思廣益，合力即興加工成遊樂場設施，既打破千篇一律的觀念，同時亦將公共空間，交還社區主導。
「土炮」一詞，既取「自行製作」的意思，亦兼有植根「土瓜灣」之義。例如該區有不少工廠大廈，平日運送大量貨物及原料，故垃圾站經常堆滿木卡板…
CHILDREN living in cramped conditions in subdivided flats in To Kwa Wan (土瓜灣) are having fun, thanks to art groups. These groups, including Playback Concept, Wheel Thing Makers (軸物行者), and MUDwork, have joined the government project PlayDepot (土炮遊樂場) to liven up a To Kwa Wan park.
They hold workshops to re-purpose what seems like unwanted items into toys. One group uses planks to make a see-saw. Another paints and attaches big and small tyres to kick scooters to make ‘chicken’ scooters. Yet another helps children sew bits and pieces of fabric to work gloves and transform them into puppets.
用幾條木砌部轉轉機、用舊車胎改裝成滑板車，聽落好土炮，它們正正是社區藝術計劃「土炮遊樂場」（PlayDepot）的土炮作品。見過成品還是半信半疑，係咪真係玩得？得，真係得，蠟質空心公仔玩具玩得睇得、造型趣致的滑板車同樣行得走得。
